Raymond Dearie, the former chief federal judge appointed by the court to act as the special master in the case involving the raid of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, isn't wasting any time in getting the party started.
According to Fox News, Dearie, appointed by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, ordered attorneys from both the Department of Justice and from Trump's legal defense team to appear on Sept. 20 at a New York federal courthouse for what he called a "preliminary conference."
Judge Raymond Dearie, the new special master in the Mar-a-Lago documents fight, is getting down to business: He's ordered all the lawyers to appear before him in the Brooklyn federal courthouse next Tuesday pic.twitter.com/FSaMDrPVwr
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) September 16, 2022
The judge invited the two legal parties to submit "proposed agenda items" by Sept. 19, in preparation for the upcoming in-person meeting in New York.
Fox News noted of Dearie's appointment:
Dearie was appointed by Cannon, a Trump appointee, who declined a request by the Department of Justice to lift the temporary prohibition of the department's usage of around 100 classified records which were taken from Mar-a-Lago during the Federal Bureau of Investigation's search on Aug. 8.
Trump's critics have complained that the special master element wasn't necessary, given that the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago were already searched through by DOJ lawyers. Many critics have added that Dearie's appointment delays the DOJ's investigation.
Regardless, Dearie seems fairly well received from all ends of the political spectrum. One of his former law clerks said the same in a summary of his former boss.
Raymond Dearie. Trump “Special Master.” Many people asking me about him. Why? I spent everyday for a year w/ him as his law clerk. The fairest jurist. Unpolitical. Deeply protective of civil liberties. No matter what he decides, I assure you, it’ll be the *right* decision. More: pic.twitter.com/j2Iv2F5FSr
— Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) September 16, 2022
It'll be interesting to see what happens in the case before the upcoming November midterms.